Grenell under consideration to be ambassador to Germany

Richard "Ric" Grenell, a former United Nations official and prominent backer of President Donald Trump, is under consideration to be ambassador to Germany, according to three people briefed on the discussions.

Grenell is now unlikely to be named the pick as NATO ambassador, as was previously reported, one of these officials said. Another person familiar with the talks said NATO could be a possibility for Grenell, but that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson wants Kay Bailey Hutchison, the former Texas senator, for the post, and is likely to get his way.

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It is unclear if Grenell will get the nod, officials said, as internal disagreements remain about a number of ambassador jobs.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a White House spokeswoman, declined to comment. "Nothing to announce at this time but will keep you posted," she said in an email. A representative for Grenell declined to comment.

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Grenell is a frequent supporter of Trump on TV and was spokesman at the United Nations during the Bush administration, after working for New York Gov. George Pataki and South Carolina's Mark Sanford.

He now works in public affairs and lives in California.

The 50-year-old Grenell is often acerbic on Twitter. He was a prominent supporter — and a foreign policy backer when the campaign was in desperate need. He is generally perceived as intelligent about foreign affairs. But he is also seen as "potentially problematic," according to one White House official, and one adviser noted his acerbic tweets.

He is openly gay, which has sometimes played a prominent role in his career. He resigned as spokesman for Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign after a short stint, and the New York Times headline was: "Romney Camp Stirred Storm Over Gay Aide."